


A Father's Love

by AngieO131



Series: Amicitia Week 2018 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AmicitiaWeek2018, Canonical Character Death, FFXV, father's hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-16 23:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14175819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngieO131/pseuds/AngieO131
Summary: Reflection of a father's hugs after Clarus's death.





	A Father's Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fairygodpiggy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairygodpiggy/gifts).



There was a certain safety in being engrossed by the arms of one's father, a warmth that surrounded you and calmed the tormoil of a young child's life. With a father the size of Clarus, his arms would wrap aound them, engulfing them in a strong hold full of nothing but love and protection. Whispered words would calm the crying and battle-worn hands would wipe the tears from tender, reddened cheeks as he kissed their heads and told them it would be alright. There was never any judgement, whatever upset them was worth the hug, the quiet time to calm them and hold them until they were feeling better. 

In Clarus, the King's Shield, the battle-worn, tough man that stood stoic and on alert, ready for any attack, they saw a strong father that was strict and intense on making sure they were training and studying. A man that could quiet both them and a room with a single stare; a man that people came to for advice, help, and training. A man that was both quiet and spoke freely.

There were times that his expectations could cause them to feel less than than they were, moments were they forgot that he only cared for their safety and growth, but all it took as a single hug, a tight embrace, a few spoken words to remember that he loved them more than life itself. 

After the attack on Insomnia, Gladio had no time to think of what he had lost. He had no time to think about the fact that his father was dead. Just the idea of thinking about what the King being dead meant made his hands shake violently so he turned his attention to Noctis. He helped him through his own grief, held him as he cried, and helped push the group forward in their mission. 

For Iris the news meant crying herself to sleep with no one to help her grieve. It meant nights thinking of her father and his hugs and the times that he was there for her. It meant locking emotions away during the day and forcing herself on with life like she knew he would have wanted. 

The first time Iris and Gladio saw each other, it was like standing on the edge of the precipice, knowing that the edge was going to break as their eyes both filled with tears and waiting that infinite second of calm before tumbling into each other's arms. Iris wrapped her arms around Gladio's neck, his own arms wrapping tightly around her back as his head buried in her shoulder, tears wetting her shirt as she sobbed against his chest.

There was safety there, the kind that she had cried herself to sleep about, the kind that she had thought would be lost forever. A brother's love that was so similar to their father's that it was a balm to to the searing pain within her the whole time. As her tears quietened, she pulled him tighter against her, rubbing his back and trying to calm him as his hug had been able to do for her. There was no cure to this pain, but together, with a sibling's love and the memory of a father's hug, they would make it through.

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream with me at my main [@UtopianTravesty](http://www.utopiantravesty.tumblr.com) or my writing blog [@angie-writes](http://www.angie-writes.tumblr.com)


End file.
